Care home residents given Covid vaccines

Residents at Ellesmere Care Home, Shropshire, were given their Covid and flu vaccines on Monday

Booster shots of Covid and flu vaccine have been given to older people at a Shropshire care home.

The faster-than-planned rollout, which began nationally on Monday, came after concerns about a highly-mutated new Covid variant which is spreading.

The shots were given to residents at Ellesmere Care Home and manager Siobhan O'Neill said some were very vulnerable.

"There are concerns about the new variant," she said.

Care home manager Siobhan O'Neill said the jabs were vital as many of their residents were very vulnerable

"We need to make sure we're very vigilant.

There have been 34 confirmed cases of the new variant, BA.2.86, in England, with 28 of those behind a Norfolk care home outbreak.

Making sure older people in particular were protected was key, Steve Ellis, from the Covid Vaccination Programme in Shropshire, said.

"The reason we brought the programme forward is because of this new strain that has come out," he added.

Care home resident Julie Hayes said she felt "it's silly" not to get the vaccines

Among those to get their jab on Monday at Ellesmere was 69-year-old resident Julie Hayes.

"To me I think it's silly if you don't, because it's there, it's free, it's painless. There's absolutely nothing to it," she said.

All adults aged 65 years and over will be offered the vaccine automatically, following advice from UK immunisation experts.

From 18 September, people in England will be able to book their jabs through the NHS website, the NHS app or by calling 119.

The NHS will contact those who are eligible.